My dad is moving in a weeks time and I'm in charge of sorting out all the utilities :-s

He's currently using B/G essentials tariff for his London 1 bed home which is a change of £65 a month DD.

He's moving to a 2 bed bungelow in Co Durham which is currently supplied by N-power on a standard tariff for dual fuel, now know that this isn't the best deal for him , I've just switched myself but since he's moving i thought i'd compare deals from B/G while we're at it.

Does anyone know if the social tariffs are actually cheaper at the minute compared to the online ones and such like, or if i'm better looking at tariffs specifically for people over 65 on benefits ?
Can i compare social tariffs online?

Any help would be great as I'm lost in a sea of numbers at the minute!

Thank you

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Shouldn't he be on the old age pension?and he should get the heating allowance which will cover a chunk of his energy bill.
He will have to spend more than 10% of his income on energy or be on means tested benefits to qualify for social tariffs.
I don't know how this applies to pensions or pension credits.

Last edited by markharding557; 04-03-2010 at 2:30 PM.

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If I was you, I would look at unit rates. You don't know how much he will be using in the new property, obviously, but look at unit rates to see what will be the cheapest?

British Gas Essentials Tariff is what my nana is on - works out as the cheapest rate she can get as she doesn't have a computer and doesn't want me to print her bills out for her I'd phone them up and get the rates and compare them to other companies.

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If I was you, I would look at unit rates. You don't know how much he will be using in the new property, obviously, but look at unit rates to see what will be the cheapest?

British Gas Essentials Tariff is what my nana is on - works out as the cheapest rate she can get as she doesn't have a computer and doesn't want me to print her bills out for her I'd phone them up and get the rates and compare them to other companies.

Crazy, patronising, ageist nonsense.

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Not nonsense - she has chosen not to have a computer. My grandfather on the other side has a computer. I wasn't trying to make a generalisation, be patronising or ageist. I was merely stating a fact - my nana doesn't have a computer, so therefore cannot get an online tariff, and so Essentials has worked out cheaper for her.

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Is there any particular reason you can't just use the comparison sites and choose the cheapest online direct debit tariff? That will likely be cheaper than any social tariff.

A social tariff has to be the cheapest tariff availble or else it can not be called a social tariff. I believe this rule can be breached once each year i.e. a supplier can release one product that is chepaer than its social tariff in each calander year.

It can however be of limited availability.

On another note...

I was under the impression the BG Essentials was closed to new customers and had been for sometime. S&SE's Energyplus Care is generally the cheapest around, its standing charge only but offers around 20% discount from the standing charge and around 33% of the unit rates. No other supplier comes close to offering this level of discount

Last edited by Bark01; 05-03-2010 at 9:05 AM.

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Scottish and Southern have now changed the conditions of their Energyplus Care Tariff. It was 10% of your total income initially, but now it is 15% of your total income which you have to spend on your fuel bills to be eligible. Also, the fact that you have health problems etc doesn't factor either, whereas before it did. For anyone that is coming off Energyplus care, they will offer a £50 rebate at the end of April to help with your fuel bills but only if you are no longer eligible for Energyplus Care which is their social tariff. You also get 5% discount if you pay by Direct Debit.

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” - Oscar Wilde

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A social tariff has to be the cheapest tariff availble or else it can not be called a social tariff. I believe this rule can be breached once each year i.e. a supplier can release one product that is chepaer than its social tariff in each calander year.

It can however be of limited availability.

On another note...

I was under the impression the BG Essentials was closed to new customers and had been for sometime. S&SE's Energyplus Care is generally the cheapest around, its standing charge only but offers around 20% discount from the standing charge and around 33% of the unit rates. No other supplier comes close to offering this level of discount

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